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Orson Charles eliminates Florida, ‘didn’t have a good feeling’ about the Gators

The Gators’ 2009 recruiting class will remain at 16 players, because five-star TE prospect Orson Charles sent out a text message last night saying he has eliminated Florida from consideration, and his decision is down to Georgia, Tennessee and Southern Cal.

“I appreciate Florida’s interest. I think very highly of Coach Meyer and the Gators,” wrote Charles, a 6-foot-3 prospect from Tampa-Plant. “This was a tough decision for my family. Please understand me and my family’s call. Thank you and God bless.”

Charles will make his final decision on March 6, but all signs point to him signing with Georgia. His high school quarterback, Aaron Murray, already signed with the Dawgs, and Charles favorite jersey number 7 came open this year with Matthew Stafford heading to the NFL.

The Web site uscfootball.com reported over the weekend that Charles, in town for his final official visit, went crazy when he saw the No. 7 jersey hanging in the locker room, but was informed that it has already been claimed by incoming QB prospect Matt Barkley.

“I’m pretty sure it could help [my decision] if Matt Barkley gave up No. 7,” Charles said. “We talked about it for a little while. At first he didn’t think I was serious, but then we kept talking, and I kept bugging him about it. Then he said, ‘I don’t mind giving up my number to anybody who’s my teammate’, and we both got a good laugh out of it.”

As for the Gators, expect to see plenty of five-receiver sets this fall, because they are now perilously thin at tight end. Junior Aaron Hernandez will be one of the best tight ends in the country, but his only backup on the roster is incoming freshman Desmond Parks, a three/four-star prospect from South Carolina.

Postscript (10:23 a.m.): I asked Charles to explain his decision a bit further, and he answers:

“It was very hard and after talking to my family we just thought about how we felt and we just didn’t have a good feeling about it.”